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Monday, March 5, 2018

The RAHM Report for 3/5/18

What My Kids Are Reading

This week's Read-at-Home Kids Report highlights what we read to celebrate Dr. Seuss's birthday, the books my two-year-old selected at a used book sale, and my four-year-old's newest independent read.

What I Finished Reading

Carbs & Cadavers by Ellery Adams (ARC)I've been curious about this series for a while, and I'm generally a fan of the author, so when I saw it was being re-released and that an ARC was available on NetGalley, I put in a request. It was a little bit too food-focused for my taste, but still a solid mystery. My review is on Goodreads.

I Know What You Bid Last Summer by Sherry Harris (ARC)This is the fifth book of a series, but the first one I've read. I loved the main character, the setting, and the writing and will definitely be looking for the rest of the series. I reviewed this one on Goodreads, too.

Cody and the Heart of a Champion by Tricia Springstubb, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler (ARC)This series is consistently great. As usual, Springstubb demonstrates a strong understanding of the concerns of real kids. Review coming soon here on the blog.

Zucchini by Barbara DanaReading this was an interesting experience. At times, I thought it was great, and at others, I couldn't wait to be finished. I'll have a review on the blog eventually - probably in May.

P.S. I Miss You by Jen Petro-Roy (ARC)I was not going to read this since the subject matter (same-sex attraction) isn't something my Catholic family seeks out and I have too many books on my TBR already, but then I heard that Catholicism was actually a central part of the story and I gave in to my curiosity. Unfortunately, the book is fraught with inaccuracies and horrible stereotypes about the faith. Why the emphasis on accurately portraying other people's cultures does not extend to religion I don't know, but I would really not want my kids' non-Catholic friends to get their ideas about our church from this book. I'll have a more detailed review soon, hopefully this week.

Tarot Says Beware by Betsy ByarsAnother read for the Author Love challenge. This book was actually pretty scary and would have kept me up all night as a child. I am still planning to review the whole series after I finish

What I'm Currently Reading

The Little Oratory by David Clayton and Leila Marie LawlerI'm reading this slowly because I want to learn from it and be able to talk about it intelligently at book club. I like it, though some of the things that frustrate me about Leila Lawler's blog also create frustration for me in this book. Overall, though, this is a great resource for introducing more prayer into the Catholic home.

All Things Bright and Beautiful by James HerriotI made some progress on this book this week. It's just so delightful. I am especially enjoying the reflections back to the disastrous dates he had with his wife before they became a couple.

Fatal Frost by Karen MacInerneyThis book has taken a backseat to the cozy mysteries for which I have ARCs, but I will come back around to it soon.

Fit to Die by Ellery Adams (ARC)Right after I reviewed the first Supper Club book, this second one popped up on NetGalley and I could not resist. I plan to make it a priority this week since the ARC expires on the 13th.

Southern Discomfort by Caroline Fardig (ARC)I have an ARC of this book, which comes out tomorrow. While I don't think I'll get it read by then, I'll definitely make an effort to read and review it by the beginning of next week.

The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie PopeI read the first chapter of this book in the middle of the week and haven't had a chance to get back to it yet. I've been reading a lot of short paperbacks from the 1980s, so I decided I needed a kids' book with a little bit of meat to it. So far, it's good.

Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth by Sheila O'Connor (ARC)I received an ARC of this in the mail over the weekend. I'm excited because it's been compared to The Wednesday Wars, which is one of my favorite middle grade novels of all time. I only briefly looked at a couple of pages, but I'm hoping to get through the whole thing this week if I can.

I enjoyed The Perilous Gard but have to admit I loved her The Sherwood Ring more. If you haven't read that one, I'd recommend it. I'm reading lots of ARCs right now too. Come see my week here. Happy reading!

I'll be looking for your review of P.S. I Miss You. As someone who left the church a while ago but have family and friends still connected to the church, I t seems to me that there are all kinds of Catholics out there, just like there are all kinds of people everywhere.

My complaint is not about what kind of Catholics the characters are. It's the misrepresentation of church teaching that is problematic. I'm working on my review tonight so I'll keep this comment short and save it for the post. :)

I would like to read Until Tomorrow, Mr. Marsworth, but would you believe I've never read The Wednesday Wars?! GASP! Shhhh, don't tell. I really enjoy MGlit, so I'm putting that on my short list of TBR. Can't wait! I'm also really interested to hear your take on P.S. I Miss You, particularly from the position of Catholicism. Have a wonderful reading week!